B.C. Ferries’ sixth Island Class vessel is set to arrive in Victoria Harbour on Tuesday.
Island 6, as it is currently known, arrives after a 72-day journey from Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania. The vessel left Oct. 11 and travelled under its own power.
The ship, which will head to Point Hope Maritime for final inspection, is expected to tie up at Ogden Point late Monday and leave around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday for the shipyard. It is expected to sail under Johnson Street Bridge around 3 p.m.
Once inspections and trials are complete, the vessel will join sister ship Island Kwigwis in service next spring between Nanaimo and Gabriola Island.
Each of the Island Class vessels is a hybrid with a diesel-electric engine with the ability to operate as a fully electric ship once B.C. Ferries has installed plug-in recharging capabilities at its terminals.
They can carry 47 vehicles and are double-ended for easy loading and unloading. The ferries have wide vehicle lanes, dedicated pedestrian paths and bicycle parking spaces.
Their design reduces underwater radiated noise and lowers emissions.
The first two Island-Class ferries, Island Discovery and Island Aurora, were brought to Victoria via a semi-submersible heavy lift vessel in 2019 and are in service on the Powell River-Texada Island route and the Port McNeill-Alert Bay-Sointula Island route.
Island Nagalis and Island K’ulut’a will begin service next year on the Campbell River-Quadra Island route.
